Cable terminal



June 23, 1931. s. B. KRAUT 1,811,470

CABLE TERMINAL Filed Feb. 4. 1928 sneetssnet 2 ITU BY 4 L `7 T'ToRNEY wire.

Patented June 23, 1931 UNITED STATES- PATENT OFFICE SAMUEL B. KRAUT, OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR T WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC & MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA CABLE TERMINAL Ammann. mee February 4, 192s. serial No. 251,854. i

Most of the lighting circuits are of these-r riestype so that, if one lighting unit is disconnected, the other lighting units in series with it will be extingushed. Therefore, it is desirable to provide means such that, when one lighting unit isv disconnected, an 'automatic cutout isV brought into operation and the lighting current shunted through this connection toV keep theV remaining units burning.

Another object of my invention isl to pro.

vide a cable terminal in which theterminal connections need not be soldered to the cable Another object of my invention is toprovide a cable-terminal support or bracket which is adapted to ground the cable sheaths commonly used in cable work of this char-l acter and which may be-adj usted to accommo-V date diferent cable lengths so that the cablesV the cable terminal and a supporting bracket,-y

F ig. 3 is a. front elevational view ofthe cable terminal and bracket shown' in F i 2, and

Fig. k4 isl an enlarged sectiona view of a conductor with which my device may be utilized.

Referring to the drawings, a preferred form of my device comprises a base or lower member 1 and a cap or top member 2 of insulating material, such as porcelain, phenolic condensation product or the like. The lower member comprises a body portion 3 having a recess 4 at its upperinner part. portion is oval in cross-section and is provided with two channels 5 and 9 extending Vfrom the lower outside wall into the recess 4. In order to facilitate insulation of the conductors, depending circular flanges 6 are provided. Y The channels 5 and 9 are constricted Vat their upper portions bya flange portion .7 which is adapted to permit the insertion of metallic bushings l 8 therein. The bushings placed in the constructed portions of the channels 5 and 9 and are then fastened in place by screwingdown nuts 11.

The bushings 8 insure good electrical connection between the cable conductors and metallic connection strips 13, 14 and 34 and 35 and also minimize the possibility of breakage at the constricted portions of the channels 5 and 9.

' In my preferred construction, a recess 12 is provided between the channels 5 and 9, and

metallic strips 13 and 14, extending downr into this recess, are electrically connected to,

and fastenedrby, the bushings 8 and nuts 11. The stripsv 13 and' 14 are provided with crimped portions 152 near theirv lower ends. Strips 16, of resilient material, act as springs for pressing the contact strips 13 and 14 toy The body.

is also provided with channels 24 and 25 which communicate with the recess 23 to permit entrance of the cable ends 26 and 27. The channels 24 and 25 of the top member are provided with constricted portions 28 and 29 in which bushings 3l are inserted, in the same manner as are the bushings 8 in the bottom member.

Two downwardly extending metallic strips 34 and 35 make electrical connection with, and are fastened by, the bushings 31 and nuts 1l. The strips 84 and 35 are provided with crimped portions 3G which coact with the crimped portions l5 ot' the lower contact strips to hold and lock the cap 2 in place on the base.

Insulating strips 37 are fastened under the top metallic strips 84 and 35 to prevent them from making electrical Contact with each other. The insulating strips may be removed and a film cutout placed between the metallic strips 34 and 35 'to provide a protective device, if desired,

Tubular end pieces 3S have screw threaded extensions that project through the biishings S and 3l to receive clamping nuts 72 and are provided with two set screws 4l and 42 to clamp the terminals of cable conductors 26 and 27 and 43 and 44 between them and the inner walls of the end pieces. It will beI noted that the set screws are in a staggered relation, such that the cable conductor ends are crimped and thus held tightly in position.

A sott-rubber washer 82 is located between the junction of the top and bottom members in order that the recess 23 may be sea-led against moisture. In order to seal the various recesses against the entrance of moisture, bell-shaped caps 47 of insulating material may be fitted over the .tlanges et the top and bottom members to engage the cables or the langes and cables may be taped.

The cable terminal may be fastened inside of a lighting standard by means of a bracket 49 (Figs. 2 and 3). The bracket comprises an L-shaped member 50 provided at its lower extremity 5l with openings 52 so that the bracket may be bolted to a suitable base inside the lighting standard or set in the concrete which constitutes the base upon which the standard is mounted. The upper portion el the bracket comprises a member 54, bent to facilitate taping of the cables and having a U-shaped member 55 adapted to fit the body member l of the cable terminal. Another U-shaped member 56 is adapted to engage the lower cable conductors 43 and 44 and to be clamped to the supporting bracket by means ot a bolt 57.

The upper and lower portions 54 and 50, respectively, ot the supporting bracket are provided with slots 58 and a clamping means 59 so that the upper member may be adjusted vertically to raise or lower the cable terminals to compensate for .any deficiencies in length.

The high-tension cables now in use usually comprise a conductor 60, an insulating layer Gl, a metallic sheath 62 of lead or 'the like, another insulating layer 63, a metallic, spirally wrapped outer sheath 64 and an insulating and an abrasion resisting covering G5 (Fig. 4). It is desirable that the metallic sheaths be grounded in order to prevent the setting up ot electrical charges in the cable sheaths.

Therefore, I have provided a clamp (SG adapted to make connection with the metallic sheaths 62 and G4 and to ground them through the supporting bracket to any suitable grounding connection (not shown). The clamp is provided with two finger portions 67 and (5S adapted to grip the inner sheath and two other linger portions (39 and 70 adapted to grip the outer sheath. In this way, the metallic sheaths are grounded and the cable terminals are relieved ot the strain incident to support et the supply cables.

In installingv the cable terminal, the lower portion of the bracket is fastened to any suitable support inside et the lighting standard, and the upper portion et the bracket is adjusted to its highest point. The cable ends are then cut oft to proper length and the insulation stripped for a space to bare the conductors. In order to provide Contact with the greuncing clamp, the supply cable is stripped ot' insulation to the inner sheath at a point 7l just below the cable terminal and to the outer sheath j ust below this point. The connector tubes are then fastened to the cable wires by the set screws. The body member l of the cable terminal is then put into place, and the lugs 23S lastened inside the bushings by means et nuts 72.

The upper portion 2 oi' the cable terminal is then connected to the seconda-ry cables 2G and 27 in the same manner, and the supporting brackets and clamps are screwed down into proper engagement.

Referring to Fig. l, in operation, when the cap is put into place, the upper contacting strips torce the lower contacting strips apart, and electrical connection is iliade between the lower contact strips and the corresponding upper Contact strips, so that electrical connection is completed between cables 43 and 2G and between cables 44 and 27. Il", for any reason, the lighting standard is thrown down or injured, the cap is pulled awav from the base member, thus disconnecting the branchcircuit conductors from the supply circuit. The lower Contact strips then spring together, thus completing an electrical connection with the other lighting' units ot the series circuit.

My device does not need te have the cables sealed in with sealing compound, as has been customary in the past, since adequate protection of the exposed parts from water Yis provided. There are no openings in the 'cap except the protected channels 24 and 25 and it is, therefore, watertight.

It is not necessary that the cable wires be 5 soldered in place in the tubular connectors, and vertical adjustment'of the cable terminal is provided in order to allow for any error in cutting 0H the cable leads. VThe cable top may be readily removed by a vertical pull but is not readily removable by aside pull, thus preventing accidental loosening of the top from the body member.

Although I have describedl a specific form of my device, I do not wish to be limited thereto, sincel modifications may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention, as defined in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A quick-disconnecting cable terminal comprising a top member and a bottom member, said top member having a depending flange adapted to lit down over said bottom member, the top member having a recessed inner portion and a plurality of channels communicating with said recess, bushings disposed in said channels, connectors extending through said bushings, the bottom member having an inner recessed portion and a plurality of openings Vcommunicating therewith, bushings disposedin said openings, and connectors extending through said bushings and coacting contact members disposed in said recesses.

2. A quick-disconnecting cable terminal comprising a top member and a bottom member, said top member being disposed to fit down over said bottom member, said top member and said bottom member being disposed to provide a recess between them and also being disposed to provide a plurality of openings communicating between the recess and the outer walls of the top and bottom members, bushings disposed in said openings,

4;.; coacting contact members fastened to said bushings and connectors extending through the bushings to make electrical connection with the coacting contact members.

3. A quick-disconnecting cable terminal te comprising a top and a bottom member, said top and bottom members severally comprising a body portion having a recess intermediate its ends and disposed to provide openings leading from the outside wall to said .'55 recess, bushings disposed in said openings,

and connectors extending through said bushings and electrically connected thereto, a sealing ring disposed at the junctionof the two members, and coacting contacts disposed in 6C- said recesses.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 26th day of January SAMUEL B. KRAUT. e5 

